PAOC Colloquium: Mary-Louise Timmermans (Yale)

Date: 
Monday, November 26, 2018 - 12:00

TITLE: Warming of the interior Arctic Ocean linked to sea ice losses at the basin margins

SPEAKER: Professor Mary-Louise Timmermans, Yale University

ABSTRACT: Arctic Ocean measurements reveal a near doubling of ocean heat content in the central Canada Basin halocline over the past three decades. This warming is linked to anomalous solar heating of surface waters at a boundary region of the basin, which is the main entryway for halocline waters to join the central basin. Summer solar heat absorption by the surface waters has increased fivefold over the same time period, chiefly because of reduced sea ice cover. I will show how the solar heating is sufficient to account for the observed halocline warming. This means that heat absorption at the basin margins and its subsequent accumulation in the ocean interior have consequences for central basin sea ice beyond the summer season.

 

About this Series: The PAOC Colloquium [PAOCC] is a weekly interdisciplinary seminar series that brings together the whole PAOC community. Seminar topics include all research concerning the physics, chemistry, and biology of the atmospheres, oceans and climate, but also talks about e.g. societal impacts of climatic processes. The seminars take place on Monday from 12-1pm in 54-923. Lunch is provided after the seminars to encourage students and post-docs to meet with the speaker. Besides the seminar and lunch, individual meetings with professors, post-docs, and students are arranged. Contact the 2018/2019 Coordinators: paoc-colloquium-comm@mit.edu.

Location: 54-915